Micah Nori (/ˈmaɪkə ˈnɔːri/ MY-kə NOR-ee;[1] born April 8, 1974) is an American basketball coach currently serving as the lead assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously served as an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons.[2]
| Minnesota Timberwolves | |
|---|---|
| Position | Assistant coach |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | April 8, 1974 (age 50) Middletown, Ohio, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| College | Indiana |
| Coaching career | 2009–present |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
| 2009–2013 | Toronto Raptors (assistant) |
| 2013–2015 | Sacramento Kings (assistant) |
| 2015–2018 | Denver Nuggets (assistant) |
| 2018–2021 | Detroit Pistons (assistant) |
| 2021–present | Minnesota Timberwolves (lead assistant) |
He garnered attention in 2023 for his "ingenious, often comic analogies" during sideline interviews at Timberwolves’ games.[3]
Early life and education
editNori grew up in Middletown, Ohio, where his father coached high school football, baseball and basketball.[4] A three-sport athlete himself in high school, Nori ended up at Indiana University, where he was captain and middle infielder of the baseball team. Injuries and a self-professed "lack of athleticism" kept him from pursuing a professional career.[5]
After graduation, Nori earned a master's degree in sports organization at Miami University while serving as a graduate assistant on the baseball team's coaching staff.[6]
Career
editEarly days
editIn 1998, Nori was considering a job as a high school athletic director when family friend (and newly hired Raptors head coach) Butch Carter called and offered him a job in Toronto.[5] He started as a coach's assistant intern before becoming an advance scout. After a brief run as the hitting coach for his alma mater Hoosiers in 2005, he eventually ascended to the Raptors' coaching staff as an assistant.
Coaching career
editNori spent four seasons with the Raptors under head coaches Jay Triano and Dwane Casey before moving on to the Sacramento Kings in 2013. Nori had met their coach, Michael Malone, for dinner while Malone was an assistant for the Golden State Warriors. After the dinner, Nori texted him saying that when Malone got a head coaching job, he hoped to be considered for his staff.[7]
When Malone became the Nuggets' head coach in 2015, Nori joined the staff as an assistant. That year, he served as head coach of Denver's NBA Summer League team, which included future three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. The team went 3–0.
In Denver, he bonded with fellow assistant Chris Finch. Finch was in charge of the team's offensive schemes, and the two honed a free-flowing style of basketball that would become his calling card in later years.
By 2018, Nori had taken a head assistant job with the Detroit Pistons under his former boss Casey. He served as the team's offensive coordinator.
He kept in touch with Finch, and when Finch was named head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves before the 2021-22 season, he brought on Nori as his lead assistant. Nori describes his role as like a bench coach in baseball: "the right-hand man with a broad array of input and oversight".[8]
He's often seen doing strategy breakdowns and sideline interviews on Timberwolves' broadcasts, where he gained notoriety for his metaphors, like: "He makes everybody comfortable—he's like popcorn during Saturday night movies."[3] ESPN called him a "unique coaching mind, one who ... breaks down defensive strategy in depth pre-game, with a real level of focus and clarity."[9]
Nori coached Team Pau during the 2024 All-Star Rising Stars Challenge.[10]
On April 28, 2024, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch injured his patellar tendon after colliding with guard Mike Conley Jr. with 1:41 remaining in Game 4 against the Phoenix Suns, so Nori served as the interim head coach for the remaining 1:41 of the game. [11]
Personal life
editNori and his wife Melissa have two kids, Dante and Mia. Dante, a talented baseball outfielder, was invited to play in the MLB High School All-Star Game in 2023, and plays professionally in the Philadelphia Phillies organization.[12]
References
edit- ^ "2023-24 start of season NBA pronunciation guide" (Press release). National Basketball Association. October 24, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ Association, NBA Coaches (2022-10-15). "Micah Nori | The Official Website of The NBA Coaches Association". nbacoaches.com. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
- ^ a b Dierberger, Tom (2023-12-20). "Timberwolves Assistant Reminds NBA Fans of 'Ted Lasso' With Creative Halftime Metaphors". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
- ^ "Kings Q&A: Micah Nori". www.nba.com. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
- ^ a b Robson, Britt (2022-02-23). "The balloon artist: How Wolves assistant coach Micah Nori became Chris Finch's most trusted confidant". MinnPost. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
- ^ "Nori Named Assistant Baseball Coach". Indiana University Athletics. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
- ^ Coombs, Sam (2018-03-19). "Micah Nori: From Baseball to the NBA Sidelines. The Unique Story of this Denver Nuggets Assistant Co". prominentprofiles. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
- ^ Robson, Britt (2024-02-22). "Timberwolves assistant coaches play key role in teams success". MinnPost. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
- ^ ""We're after a championship": The Timberwolves believe this year is different". ESPN.com. 2024-03-08. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
- ^ "Complete Timberwolves' NBA All-Star 2024 guide: TV schedule & events for Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns". www.nba.com. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
- ^ "Timberwolves coach Chris Finch suffers ruptured patellar tendon after collision with Mike Conley". NBA.com. April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
- ^ "Northville family's NBA-flavored journey has been amazing". 2023-07-07. Retrieved 2024-03-08.